Restaurant in La Spezia, Italy
Michelin-noted seafood, serious wine, fair price.
Osteria della Corte holds a 2024 Michelin Plate and a 4.6 Google rating from over 1,200 reviews — the most credentialed fish restaurant in La Spezia's historic centre. At €€ pricing, it offers 17th-century stone interiors, a summer courtyard, and a 700-label wine list with active sommelier guidance. The strongest option in the city for a special occasion dinner built around Ligurian seafood.
With 1,295 Google reviews averaging 4.6 and a 2024 Michelin Plate to its name, Osteria della Corte is the most credentialed fish-focused restaurant in La Spezia's historic centre. At the €€ price point, it delivers a standard of cooking and setting that would cost twice as much in Milan or Florence. If you are visiting La Spezia, planning a date night, or marking a birthday during a Ligurian itinerary, this is the restaurant to book.
The dining room occupies a building with 17th-century stone walls and exposed arches — the kind of space that took centuries to form and cannot be replicated. In summer, tables move to an outdoor courtyard, which makes it the most atmospheric option for an evening meal in the city centre. For a special occasion, request the courtyard when booking; it changes the feel of the meal entirely.
Chef Silvia Cardelli has built the menu around what the Ligurian coast actually produces: fish and seafood prepared without unnecessary complexity. The Michelin Plate recognises consistent quality and a clear kitchen identity, not a willingness to chase trends. Signature dishes confirmed in the venue record include spaghetti with seafood and Tournedos Rossini , a pairing that signals the kitchen can move between coastal Ligurian and classic French registers without losing focus.
This is not a tasting-menu destination. The format suits couples and small groups who want a proper meal with a defined beginning and end, not a two-hour procession of courses. For a date night or a celebration dinner with close friends, that is an asset, not a limitation. If you want a progressive multi-course experience, you would need to travel further afield to venues like Uliassi in Senigallia or Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence.
The wine list runs to 700 labels, with the sommelier actively involved in recommendations. That depth is serious for a €€ restaurant in a mid-sized Italian city. The affiliated champagne bar next door adds a second dimension: over 130 labels from small producers, available by the glass or bottle. If you are celebrating, start at the champagne bar, then move to the main dining room. It is a natural progression that most restaurants in La Spezia cannot offer.
For anyone interested in exploring local and regional Italian producers beyond the obvious names, the sommelier's involvement makes this worth asking about at the time of booking. A wine-forward special occasion dinner here is genuinely well-supported, in a way that casual tourist restaurants in the area are not. See our full La Spezia wineries guide for context on the regional production picture.
La Spezia is a working port city, not a polished resort town. Much of the dining on the waterfront is pitched at volume tourism, with quality that reflects that. Osteria della Corte occupies a different position: it is a neighbourhood anchor for the local dining public, which is why the Google review count is high and the rating has held across more than 1,200 votes. Michelin recognition at the Plate level confirms the kitchen is operating above the tourist-trap baseline, even if it has not yet reached starred territory.
For travellers using La Spezia as a base for the Cinque Terre, the Gulf of Poets, or Portovenere, this is the one restaurant in the city worth planning around. The alternatives on the tourist circuit will not match it on cooking quality or setting. Check our full La Spezia restaurants guide for the complete picture, and our Andree contemporary restaurant listing if you want a contrasting modern-cuisine option in the same city.
The outdoor courtyard is a seasonal asset. If you are visiting during the warmer months, this is the obvious window to book. The stone-walled interior is appealing in its own right in cooler weather, but the courtyard setting transforms the meal into something that justifies a longer evening. Book a table rather than walking in, particularly on weekends in peak summer season when the city is busier with travellers passing through to the Cinque Terre.
For accommodation context while planning your visit, see our full La Spezia hotels guide. For pre-dinner or post-dinner options, our La Spezia bars guide and La Spezia experiences guide cover the surrounding options.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osteria della Corte | Mediterranean Cuisine | This restaurant with 18C stone walls and arches boasts a small, intimate dining room and an outdoor courtyard for summer dining. The delicious yet simple cuisine focuses on fish and seafood full of rich flavours, which are a must for chef Silvia Cardelli! Just a stone’s throw from the restaurant, there’s also a champagne bar offering tastings by the glass and bottles produced by small, enthusiastic wineries – a choice of over 130 different labels in total.; This small restaurant with 17C stone walls and exposed stone arches also boasts a courtyard for summer dining, while the delicious yet simple cuisine focuses on fish and seafood. Rich flavours are a must for chef Silvia Cardelli, whose classic dishes include spaghetti with seafood and Tournedos Rossini. There’s also an excellent selection of wines (700 labels), with interesting recommendations provided by the sommelier.; Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Italian, Italian Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Osteria Francescana | Progressive Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Quattro Passi | Italian, Mediterranean Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Reale | Progressive Italian, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Osteria della Corte and alternatives.
Osteria della Corte is the most credentialed fish-focused option in central La Spezia, holding a 2024 Michelin Plate and a 4.6 Google rating across over 1,200 reviews. For visitors willing to travel, the Cinque Terre coastline and Lerici have additional seafood options, but none in the immediate La Spezia area combine the wine program depth (700 labels) and Michelin recognition at €€ pricing. If you want a step up in formality and budget, Quattro Passi on the Amalfi coast is the regional comparison point.
The venue data does not confirm bar seating inside the restaurant itself, but there is a separate champagne bar adjacent to the osteria offering tastings by the glass from over 130 labels across small-producer wineries. That is worth factoring into your visit if you want a lower-commitment entry point before or after a meal.
Yes, reasonably so. The dining room is described as small and intimate, which typically suits solo diners better than large, noisy spaces. At €€ pricing, the financial commitment is low, and the sommelier-led wine program gives solo diners something to engage with. The courtyard in summer adds a relaxed atmosphere that doesn't feel awkward for one.
Book at least one to two weeks ahead for weekday visits; further in advance for weekends or summer courtyard seating, which is the most sought-after option. With a 4.6 rating over 1,295 reviews and a 2024 Michelin Plate, this is La Spezia's most consistently reviewed fish restaurant, and tables move accordingly. No phone or online booking link is listed on Pearl, so check the venue directly on arrival in Italy or via local booking platforms.
At €€, yes. A 2024 Michelin Plate, a 700-label wine list with active sommelier input, and chef Silvia Cardelli's fish-forward menu represent strong value at mid-range pricing. You are not paying fine-dining rates for fine-dining credentials, which is the core case for booking here over the waterfront tourist options in La Spezia. If your priority is tasting-menu format or starred prestige, Dal Pescatore or Quattro Passi are the right step up, but at a significantly higher price point.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
